A Mechanicsville man plans to use his winnings from a $1 million scratch-off prize to buy a beach house, he said this week.

Bryan Caperones, 35, said that he bought a Lucky 7’s Game Book ticket Wednesday evening from Fred’s Liquors in Charlotte Hall. He immediately played the tickets, hoping as he always did for a win.

“I started shaking,” he said after discovering his winning ticket. “I showed it to the guy behind the counter... He checked it and said, ‘Yep, that’s it.’”

Caperones drove to the Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore the next day to turn in his ticket.

Carole Everett, director of communications for Maryland Lottery, said most big winners get a choice of taking a reduced lump sum payment or be paid over the course of 20 or more years.

“I took the cash option,” Caperones said, declining to comment on exactly how much he will receive after state and federal taxes are taken out of the $1 million prize. He said in addition to paying off some of his vehicles, he plans to buy a beach house in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

“He’s our first million dollar, top-prize winner on the Game Book,” Everett said. “He’s our celebrity.”

The Lucky 7’s Game Book, which is actually six $5 scratch-offs in a small booklet, was started about a month ago.

Caperones, a 1995 graduate of Chopticon High School, said he plans to keep his job as an elevator repairman.

“It ain’t enough to retire on,” he said.

His wife, Christina, will also continue working as a teacher at White Marsh Elementary School, he said. The couple has two young children.

About a year ago he won a free cruise to the Caribbean from a Cruise for Cash Lottery ticket, also bought at Fred’s Liquors. “I buy a few a week,” Caperones said.

He said a friend from Mechanicsville recently won $5,000 from a Player’s Club scratch-off ticket.

Everett said that there are about 50 different scratch-offs costing from $1 to $20 at any given time in the state.

“There’s something out there for everyone,” she said, adding that the holiday tickets will begin showing up soon.